Author Archives: PressBox

Max Verstappen shoved Maro Engel onto the grass during a late-night wheel-to-wheel battle for the lead at the Nürburgring 24 Hours, a forceful move that included multiple contacts and a near-miss that almost sent Engel off track. Verstappen, in the #3 car, closed on Engel’s #80 and forced a move down the Döttinger Straight that pushed Engel onto the grass approaching Tiergarten amid lapped traffic. The clash produced no major crash, and Engel described it as a misunderstanding caused by traffic, saying there was no damage and that he and Verstappen even laughed about the incident afterward.

Engel and his co-drivers Luca Stolz, Fabian Schiller and Maxime Martin secured the win for Mercedes, marking the manufacturer’s first Nürburgring 24 Hours victory since 2016 and finishing about 46 seconds clear of the next car. Verstappen’s bid for victory ended when a driveshaft failure dropped his #3 entry to 38th place.

The episode followed a year-old online dispute over a GT3 Nordschleife lap time attributed to Verstappen under the alias “Franz Hermann,” a matter Engel later said included incorrect information about a 7:48 DTM-spec run. Mercedes and team principal Toto Wolff cited Verstappen’s risky on-track moment when they and other Formula 1 teams blocked junior driver Kimi Antonelli from attending the Nürburgring next year, a move described as a precautionary, governance-style decision. Engel has been reported to be in close contact with Antonelli about a possible future entry and has attempted to recruit him, even as both drivers downplayed any personal rivalry after the clash. Verstappen said he would “try” to return to the Nürburgring 24 Hours in 2027 depending on his schedule.

Chinese electric-vehicle giant BYD explored entering Formula 1 and held direct talks with Christian Horner across two days in Cannes, with Horner attending as BYD’s guest. Horner was ousted as Red Bull team principal in July 2025 and ended his gardening leave earlier this month, making him eligible to return to the sport. BYD vice-president Stella Li also met Horner as part of exploratory discussions. Neither BYD nor Horner confirmed any formal partnership or appointment.

Reports described two possible routes for BYD, either creating an entirely new constructor or acquiring a stake in an existing team. BYD was linked to a bidding process for the 24 percent stake in Alpine marketed by minority owner Otro Capital, and some media named Horner among reported bidders. Other reports said BYD was leaning toward building a new team and would prefer majority control rather than a minority stake. Negotiations over Alpine’s ownership involved the Renault Group and attracted wider industry interest, with media noting Mercedes and other parties as potential players. Horner had previously been linked to a separate set of talks around an Alpine stake that involved Mercedes, and those talks appeared distinct from the BYD-related discussions.

BYD showed interest in Renault’s former Viry-Chatillon factory as a possible base for an F1 operation, and Stella Li said she was in close contact with F1 Management and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem expressed optimism about a BYD bid and publicly signaled support for a Chinese manufacturer joining the sport. The push came amid broader manufacturer interest driven by the 2026 technical overhaul, with Audi, Ford and Cadillac already linked to F1. BYD, through its FinDreams division, was described in reports as a major EV and battery manufacturer and the world’s leading electric car maker with an estimated $125 billion net worth. No formal agreement, confirmed entry route or appointment had been announced.

Kimi Antonelli’s sudden elevation into a genuine Formula 1 title contender has created an urgent management task for Mercedes, his family and the wider paddock. The 19-year-old converted his first three pole positions into victories in China, Japan and Miami, becoming the first driver in the sport’s history to do so and the youngest-ever championship leader at 19 years and 216 days. After four of 22 rounds he led the drivers’ standings by 20 points and had stood on the podium in each race.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff praised the team’s patient junior program and its deliberate limitation of Antonelli’s media duties during his development, and urged calm, warning that “all of Italy will be on him.” The team rebuilt Antonelli’s W17 after a late practice crash in Australia so he could make a Q1 lap. George Russell won in Australia but has otherwise been largely outperformed by his younger teammate and has struggled to find the right balance with the W17. Wolff acknowledged Russell’s recent misfortune and said he expected him to be competitive again from the Canadian Grand Prix, and Mercedes delayed a major car upgrade until Montreal with many observers expecting that circuit to suit the more experienced Russell.

Former racer David Coulthard warned Antonelli’s rapid rise brings a hidden challenge, saying intrusive expectations from media, family and the sport, plus the internal dynamic at Mercedes and a close championship fight with teammate Russell, could complicate his progress and he cited Charles Leclerc’s early-career scrutiny as a cautionary precedent. Mercedes deputy team principal Bradley Lord urged tempering hype and described the current buzz as exaggerated, saying Antonelli’s run is noteworthy but not definitive. Otmar Szafnauer offered a contrasting view, predicting Antonelli would grow mentally stronger and be more formidable by age 25 to 26. The team and pundits have emphasized Antonelli is only in his second season and said on-track pace is undeniable but off-track management and team context will strongly influence whether his shock title bid can be sustained.

Ollie Bearman called his surprise 2024 Ferrari debut in Saudi Arabia a brutal reality check, saying the jump from Formula 2 to Formula 1 “hurt” and left his neck “gone.” The 18-year-old reserve was pressed into action after Carlos Sainz was ruled out with appendicitis and had roughly one hour of practice in the SF-24 before his first FP3 run, which he said felt about 12 seconds faster than his F2 pole lap. Teammate Esteban Ocon echoed that no amount of preparation can fully replicate F1’s demands.

Bearman qualified 11th at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, missing Q3 by 0.036 seconds, then finished seventh in the race after holding off Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton. The outing made him the youngest driver to race for Ferrari and was made special for him by his father watching from the back of the garage. The SF-24, a race-winning, title-challenging car during 2024, provided a competitive platform for the high-pressure debut.

The performance in Jeddah helped raise Bearman’s profile and helped pave the way to a confirmed full-time seat with Haas for 2025. His showing in that night race was credited with increasing his stock and he later made a strong impression in his 2025 rookie season.